Greenhouse construction.



No, 739,559. I PATENTED SEPT, 22, 1903.

P. RINKER.

GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATIOII FILED FEB. 19, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l III No. 739,559. PATENTED SEPT.AZ2, 19103.v

' F. RINKER.

GREENHOUSE GONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1903 Fatented September 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFIC FREDRIOK RIVNKER, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO.

GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,559, dated September 22, 1903. Application filed February 19, 1903. $erial No. 144,029- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRIOK RINKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- ledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Greenhouse Construction, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to the construction of greenhouses, and has-for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive structure of the kind in which a side-Wall metallic skeleton frame is so arranged that the side-wall sashframes and the roof sash-frames may be detachably connected thereto for separate replacement and that is provided with a readily-heated trough to prevent ice or snow accumulating therein and breaking plates of glass imposed along its length, and, furthermore, to provide a structure that may be produced in knockdown form for shipment and readily erected and repaired by unskilled labor.

I The objects of my invention are accomplished as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a cross-section of a side wall of a greenhouse constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section on line a: r of Fig. 1, showing a method of connecting the side-wall sash-sill to a post. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the trough, showing a coupling of two trough-sections. Fig. 4: is a partial roof plan of a greenhouse constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 5 is a section on line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows a metal postsupporting a trough in synclinal roof construction. Fig. 7 is a section through a purlin supported upon one of my posts. Fig. 8 is a modified form of my construction, inwhich my post is used to support a frame-trough; and Fig. 9 isa detail View of the hood over the joints between the ventilator-sash and the ridge-plank.

In the construction of my greenhouse the foundation-walls 1 are preferably of monolithic composition to embed the bases of a series of posts 2. For economic reasons the posts may be formed of scrapped pipes of suitable diameter and 1ength,and the top of each pipe-post is flattened for a portion of its length and bent at right angles to the body to form a bracket 3. Upon the top of a series of these brackets there is imposeda channelbeam 4, with the flanges upturned to form the eaves-trough for the roof, and by outwardly overhanging the beam the Web 5 thereof forms a wall-plate overv the side-wall sashframes A. The beam 4. thus placed upon the post is detachably connected to the brackets formed thereon by means of bolts 6, and by forming the brackets of a length to extend beyond the inside flange f the trough-beam they are adapted to'form a support for the roof sash-frame B. The bottom rail 8 of the roof sash-frame B is detachably connected to the brackets by means of lag-bolts 9, and the flange 7 of the beam 4is also detachably connected at intervals to the cross-rail 8 by means of bolts 10 to reinforce the cross-rail between supporting-brackets.

The top rail 12 of the side-Wall sash-frame A abuts against the bottom of the trough 1 and is ,detachably connected thereto at suitable intervals by means of bolts 13 and is set back slightly from the outer face of the trough to 'form a water-drip. The bottom rail 14 of the side-wall sash-frame is formed to provide a sill for the sash-frame and is bedded upon the top of the foundation-wall, so as to form a projecting water-drip; The sill 14 is detachably secured to the posts 2 by means of bolts 15, each of which is provided with an eye 17, having an inside diameter to encircle a post 2 and a threaded portion 18 of a length to extend transversely through the sill-rail, which is adjustably secured thereon by means of nuts 19, which are run upon the threaded portion to compress the sill between the nuts. The top rail and the sill-rail of the side-Wall sash-frame A may be formed in sections of suitable length and when connected to the trough 1 form a rigid side-wall frame,

ported upon sash-bars 24:, which are suitably framed to the ridge-plank and to the crossrail 8 and rabbeted to receive the glass. The parting-strip 25 of the sash-bar is arranged to overhang theside of the trough 1 to form, with the imposed bottom plates of glass 23, a continuous eave overhanging the side of the trough. The sash-frame of the glazed roof is also provided at opposite sides of the ridge with ventilator-openings 27, which are formed by framing a header 28 to support one or more tail sash bars 29, framed thereto, and the header is also grooved to form a socket to receive glass supported upon the tail sash-bars.

' Each ventilator-opening is closed by means of a glazed sash 30, the top rail 31 of which is connected to the ridge-plank by means of hinges 32, and for fastening the hinges to the ridge-plank the top edge 33 of the plank is chamfered on both sides to line with the plane of the hinged ventilator-sash. The joints between the ventilator sash-rails 31 and the abutting sides of the ridge-plank are hooded with a sheet of metal of suitable width and length, which is bent to form a central longitudinal spring-arch 34 andis fastened through the center of the arch to the top of the ridgeplank by nails or screws, so that the side portions 34 are spring-pressed upon the ventilator sash-frames and movable therewith when the ventilator-sash is raised to air the beveled to conform to the angle of the sash bars and suitably spiked thereto. Similar posts may be also employed to support the ridge-plank at suitable intervals, and it is obvious that a glazed structure may be substantially supported upon or by posts of the kind described without materially obstructing the interior and injuriously shading the vegetation.

For synclinal structures the base of the I post 40 is embedded in a monolithic pier 41, and the top of the post is provided with veach side of the trough and connected thereto and to the respective brackets, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Fig. 6.

In the construction of a greenhouse requiring a long trough two or more sections of channel-beams are coupled by a fish-plate 43, which is connected to eachadjacent section by means of bolts 44, and the joints between the sections are leaded or otherwise suitably calked.

To prevent ice or snow accumulating in the trough and breaking plates of glass overhanging the trough, I have arranged a circulatingpipe 45 under the full length of the trough to heat it. The heating-pipe is connected to a suitable heating system and is located under the trough between the side-wall sashframe and the post 2, but may be suitably suspended from the trough or supported by brackets 46, mounted on the posts in synclinal structures, as shown in Fig. 6. With metallic posts embedded in monolithic foundation-walls and bracketed at the top to supporta metallic trough there is formed a lasting-skeleton frame for greenhouses to which the glazed side-wall frames and glazed roofframes may be readily connected by unskilled labor and any decayed parts severally replaced without aifecting the stability of the structure and without damage to connectingframes and without the use of nails in erection. 7

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 a post 47 is shown applicable to support a trough 48, constructed of timber, and in which the rail 49 of the roof-sash is arranged to form aside of the trough.

What I claim is- 1. In a greenhouse, the combination of side footing-walls; a series of posts embedded in the footing -walls each having a top end bracket, a trough supported upon the brackets and detachably secured thereto to form a side-wall plate, a side-wall sash-frame detachably secured to the posts and at intervals to the trough, and a roof sash-frame having a lower sash-rail arranged to be detachably connected to the trough.

2. In a greenhouse, monolithic foundationwalls, glazed side-wall frames imposed upon the foundation-walls, posts embedded at intervals in the footing-walls, each post being provided at the top with an integral bracket in the plane of the top of the side-wall frame and extending inward from the frame, a

trough imposed upon and detachably connected to the top of the side-wall frame and the brackets, and a roof sash-frame having a bottom rail supported upon the end bracket and detachably connected thereto and to the side of the trough.

3. The combination of side foundations, posts embedded in the foundation each having a top end bracket extending inwardly, an upturned channel-beam detachably mounted on the brackets of the posts and outwardly overhanging the posts, glazed side-wall frames detachably secured to the posts and to the overhang of the channel-beam, and roof sashframes having the lower sash-rails'supported on the brackets of the posts and detachably connected thereto overhanging the channelbeam and also detachably connected to the inner side of the channel-beam.

4. In a structure, a side foundation-wall arranged to support an imposed skeleton frame comprising a series of pipe-posts with the base of each post embedded in the 011.11?

dation-wall and the top end flattened and bent at an angle to the body portion to form a bracket extending inward from the post, a channel-beam with the side flanges upturned imposed upon the brackets and detachably connected thereto with the body portion of the beam overhanging the posts to form a wall-plate of the web of the beam and form a free ledge at the end of each bracket, a glazed side-Wall frame bedded upon the foundation-wall and detachably connected to each post and at intervals to the web of the beam and a glazed roof frame supported upon the free ledges of the brackets and detachably secured thereto and at intervals to the inside flange of the beam.

5. The combination of side foundations, posts embedded in the foundations each having top end bracket extending inwardly, an upturned channel-beam detachably mounted on the brackets of the posts and overhanging the posts, glazed side-wallframes detachably secured to the posts and to the overhang of the channel-beam, roof sash-frames having the lower sash-rails supported onthe brackets of the posts and detachably connected thereto overhanging the channel-beam and also detachably, connected to the inner side oftthe channel-beam, and a circulating-pipe extended along the under side of the channel-beam and adapted to be connected to a heating vided at the top end with brackets formed by slitting a flattened top portion centrally lengthwise from the top and bending the halved portions in opposite direction at an angle to the body portion, a channel-beam mounted upon and detachably secured to the brackets having a width to provide free ledges on the brackets on opposite sides of the beam, and synclinal roof frames supported upon the free bracket-ledges and detachably con- 5 nected thereto and at intervals to the flanges of the beam. a

7. The combination of side foundationwalls, posts bedded in the foundation each having a top end bracket extending inward,

an upturned channel-beam detachablymounted upon the brackets of the posts and outwardlyoverhanging the posts, glazed sidewall frames detachably secured to the posts and to the overhang of the channel-beam, roof sash-frames having the lower sash-rails supported upon the brackets of the posts and detachably connected thereto and at intervals to side of the channel-beam, a common ridge plank, framed ventilator openings ,formed in the roof provided with glazed closures hinged to the ridge-plank and a hoodplate secured tothe top of the ridge-plank to cover each joint between the ventilators and flex with the movement of the ventilator Witnesses i WILLIAM, H.. Moon, LAURA YOUNGS. 

